Is it true that Indians primarily taught the Chinese karate,Ju-jitsu,Kung-Fu Etc..?

Question

I have a Sri Lankan "uncle" not by blood, who told me that Indians were the one who taught the Chinese or the northern part of India- How to do all those karate, kung-fu stuff with sticks and everything, I don't believe him- I think its only small influences but not entirely right? The Chinese invented everything I mean why would Indians be the influence right?

Im Filipino, if you can find a logical explanation from a research or something I don't know its hard to comprehend

Answer 1

You are kind of both right. Did the people of India give the Chinese most of their martial arts, no, but they did certainly influence them. Dao Mo went to China from India and took his studies in Yoga with him. If you compare Yoga primarily thought to have been started in India with the Chinese I Chin Ching "the book of bone and muscle change" you will find a large number of very striking similarities.  Many think this was the major catalyst that started the Shaolin monks to developing the many fighting systems/ styles they are credited with. It is also known that some forms of Silat predate many of the Shaolin styles, but the same can be said for many Chinese styles that were started outside the Shaolin Temple. So, which one influenced which and who's style came first, we don't know for sure and most likely never will. Every style has influenced nearly every other style to some extent over the years and still continue to do so and probably always will.

Answer 2

You are correct. It is only small influences. Every country has had fighting methods since the time of Mesopotamia. I'd also mention that the oldest recorded fighting method in history would be Pankration. Kalaripayattu the Indian fighting art came much later.

There is history of fighting arts during the time of the Yellow Emperor in China, which precedes Da Mo, and there is new archaelogical evidence that Okinawa had fighting systems before the influence of Kung Fu as well.  

Answer 3

The legend is that kung fu came from an Indian monk named Bodhidharma when he visited the Shaolin Temple.

Jujutsu was developed and used by samurai in Japan.

Karate was at least partially derived from Chinese martial arts in Okinawa.

Answer 4

Martial arts -- probably not...

BUT

Gautama Siddhartha (the Buddha) came from what is now southern Nepal (was part of India at the time.)

Buddhism (thus Shaolin) has it's roots in India.